Implantable medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, are known wherein data detected by the cardiac pacemaker or generated by the cardiac pacemaker is transmitted to a central service unit. The data transmission required for this purpose is performed wirelessly via a comparatively relatively short range from the implant to an external device, for example, which is located in the range of the implant for the purposes of the data transmission. The external device functions as a quasi-relay station and is implemented for the purpose of transmitting the data sent from the implant further to the central service unit. The data may be analyzed in a central service unit and be available centrally to a physician. This can to some extent allow remote diagnoses, which may partially replace personal visits of the physician to the patient or vice versa. In addition, a system of this type allows the physician to be able to recognize possibly critical health statuses early, to which he may then react rapidly, possibly even before the patient himself notices a critical health status.
In addition, various systems are known from the prior art which support the physician in the aftercare of a patient. Examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,823, US 2003/028082, and US 2005/0065555.